Friday, April 6, 2012

Rama and Hanuman's grace

Many non-Hindus have tried their best to explain that the Divine could not have appeared on Earth as a human being. The Indian intelligentsia, including some established authors, has tried hard to portray Rama as a glorified fictional hero. Academicians have, at times, lied to us that the nirguna Rama of certain bhakti saints is different from the saguna Rama of the Ramayana and other bhakti saints. Selected Vaishnavas, in trying to please their favorite form of the Divine or maybe their own ego, have circulated false theories about Rama being just an amsa-avatar, even when it has amounted to opposing the viewpoints of Brahmarishis and Bhakti Saints [1]. Moreover, fake religious gurus have been trying to profiteer from the name of Rama.

To make things a little more difficult for his own name, Rama was not born in the last yuga; he was born two yugas ago. Besides, during his visit, he followed the maryada of not boasting about himself or his own divinity; he did not even publicly claim that he was ideal, realized, or God [2]. In spite of such worldly drawbacks, Rama’s name still remains on top in Sanatana Dharma. Many devotional Hindus consider the name of Rama much superior to terms like Bhagavan, Paramatama, Ishvara, Brahman, and God [3]. How did this miracle happen in this world? To put it concisely, this is a result of Hanuman’s grace on unworthy souls — his effect on the universe.

Happy Birthday to you, Lord Hanuman! Thanks for being here for us!

[1] Though Rama, Krishna, and Vishnu are names of the same Personality, it is said that they appear different to the benighted.
[2] Again, Rama and Hanuman, when on Earth, never gain realization because only a jiva needs realization. In fact, consciousness, grace, pure bliss, and eternalness are a few characteristics of Rama's nature.
[3] This also applies to the names of Krishna and Shiva.